After a gap of nearly ten months, Micromax' subsidiary, Yu Televentures launched a new smartphone in India, called Yu Yureka Black. The phone is an entirely revamped version of the three-year-old Yureka smartphone. Last month, a report said that Micromax would shut down the Yu Televentures in coming days, but the company's CEO Rahul Sharma stated that they would be launching a new smartphone.
And the promised outcome is the Yu Yureka Black. The device is priced at Rs. 8,999 and will be available for purchase on June 6 exclusively via e-commerce site Flipkart. The primary aim of the Yu devices is to compete with Chinese companies smartphones in the country. For the same price of Rs. 8,999, there's the Xiaomi Redmi 4 with similar specifications. Incidentally, both the smartphones will be available for purchase on June 6 (Yureka Black's first sale and Redmi 4's next sale).
But which smartphone should you choose? Yu Yureka Black or the Xiaomi Redmi 4? Let's find out.
Design and Display
Both the Redmi 4 and Yureka Black sports unimetal body, but in terms of looks, the Redmi 4 wins the race with its chamfered edges and rectangular slab body. The Yureka Black also looks good, but it doesn't match the Redmi 4 though. Also, both the phones are available in Black colour option.
Coming to the display, the Redmi 4 and Yureka Black both flaunt a 5-inch display. However, the screen resolution differs them. The Redmi 4 has a 720p panel, while the Yureka Black has a 1080p panel. Furthermore, both the screens are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass technology and layered with 2.5D curved glass on top, which makes the devices look premium.
If the Xiaomi Redmi 4 has an advantage in the design department, then the Yureka Black fights back with the 1080p display panel.
Hardware
The Xiaomi Redmi 4 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chip, which is slightly faster compared to the Snapdragon 430 chip used in the Yureka Black.
The Redmi 4 is available in three variants with 2GB/3GB/4GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB/64GB of storage. The 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage variant is priced at Rs. 8,999, same as the Yureka Black's pricing. That said, the Yureka Black is a winner in this segment because it has 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Both the phones come with a hybrid SIM card for expanding the storage.
Moreover, the Redmi 4 and Yureka Black has a fingerprint scanner located at the rear side below the camera module.
The Yureka Black may use a less powerful Snapdragon 430 chip, but it covers up with an extra gig of RAM. Also, the new Yureka is the cheapest smartphone with 4GB of RAM right now in India.
Camera
Both the smartphones feature a 13MP sensor at the back with support for autofocus and LED flash. The LED flash on the Redmi 4 is a single-tone module, while the Yureka Black uses a dual-tone flash which adds more light to the images.
However, the difference can be seen in the front-facing camera department as the Yureka Black has an 8MP shooter along with a LED flash. The Redmi 4 features a 5MP front-facing camera with no support for a flashlight.
So, if you're looking for a selfie smartphone in a tight budget, then the Yureka Black should be your option.
Connectivity and Battery
Connectivity options in both the phones include Wi-Fi 802.11/b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and micro USB port. Both the phones accept dual-SIM cards and have support for 4G VoLTE as well.
Lastly, the battery segment, which belongs to the Redmi 4. The Yureka Black's 3000mAh battery doesn't match the 4100mAh unit present on the Redmi 4. Moreover, the Redmi 4 offers better battery life because it has an HD display.
Conclusion
The Yu Yureka Black has better specifications than the Redmi 4 in some areas, whereas the Redmi 4 wins with a better chip and larger battery. The Redmi 4 certainly looks better than the Yureka Black.
Specifications wise, the Yureka Black is a winner with a Full HD display, 4GB of RAM, and better cameras, but lost the race with a slightly less powerful chip and smaller battery.
Also, over the course of last two years, Xiaomi has become the best budget smartphone brand in the country, and the road is not easy for the Yureka Black.
That said, if you want a good display and a decent selfie camera smartphone on a tight budget, then get the Yureka Black. Or if your priority is decent build quality and battery life, then get the Xiaomi Redmi 4. Having said that, if you spend a little more (Rs 1,000 more), there's the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 with Snapdragon 625 SoC, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage.
